Saving Grace
by cherri deluca
Summary: After Edward leaves in 'New Moon' Bella runs from all the memories in Forks. She runs to her good friend Dr. Spencer Reid. Bella has always wondered if there could be more between them and thinks now is a great time to find out.
1. Chapter 1 Gone Baby Gone

Bella Swan sat staring sightlessly out of her bedroom window. Somewhere on the fringes of her mind she could hear her parents Charlie and Renee arguing quietly trying to decide what to do with her. Bella had been unresponsive and immobile looking blindly out the window for more than a week. That fact that her divorced parents were together in one place and fighting didn't matter to Bella, all that mattered was the He was gone. Edward had left her, broken and alone. Tears slide slowly down her pale cheeks as she struggled to breathe. After telling Bella that she wasn't good for him and that he didn't love her anymore he left her crying in the middle of the forest. All the pain that she felt at this betrayal of her love made Bella feel like she was trapped in a spinning vortex of agony.

Bella was torn from her grief By Renee moving quickly around the room muttering to herself" Just Needs to be home…broken heart…sun sunshine. Bella tried to take in what her mother was mumbling about. Painfully crawling out of the black hole of her mind Bella watched baffled as her mother hastily packed what looked like her suitcase. Clarity returned in an instant when she figured out her mom was trying to take her home with her to Florida.

"Mom Don't!" Bella cried out trying to stand from her seated position by the window. "I am not going home with you, this is my home now. Besides Ch…I mean dad needs me."

Renee looked up at her daughter trilled that she was finally coming out of whatever trance she had been in. "Of course you'll come home with me Bella, we will get you all fixed up. Some sun and a bit of laying on the beach and you'll be fine in no time."Renee declared smiling then returned to packing her daughters things.

Bella stared at the back of her mother's head wondering not for the first time if Renee Dwyer was crazy. After years of living with her and being more of a parent than a daughter to her the idea that Renee was going to take care of her was positively laughable. Bella understood that her mother was not really cut out for parenthood and had come to terms with that fact years ago. Being a child and having to manage the house and care for herself and her mother made coming to this conclusion a necessity for Bella's sanity. Living with Renee had been an exercise in patience that Bella frankly didn't feel like repeating. She just knew if she let her mother take her with her within a week she would be forgotten while Renee and her new husband Phil were off pretending that they were teens again. Bella sat and weighed her choices all the while nibbling on her lower lip absently. While going with Renee was out so was staying with Charlie. Every place in Forks was a constant reminder of the fact that at one point she had felt loved and adored only to have it ripped away from her in the most heartless of manors. Although Charlie was a great dad to Bella their relationship wasn't emotional at all. They barely spoke and were rarely affectionate. It wasn't that they didn't love each other it was just that after years of living apart they both had no idea how to bridge the gap between them. So instead they danced around the edges of their relationship, never doubting the love between them but also never really acknowledging it either.

Bella thought hard about what was right for her. For years her life had been about making others happy and making sure they were taken care of and now at the time when she needed a shoulder to lean on she realized that there was only one person who ever made the effort to look out for her and to make her feel safe. Years ago while in an advanced placement class in Phoenix Bella had met a young man named Spencer Reid. They met while Bella was taking an intro to criminology class on U of A campus over that summer. Bella only took the class for the credit it would afford her when she applied to colleges and also secretly she hoped to maybe impress her dad a little. Dr Spencer Reid had been the courses guest lecturer and they had struck up a friendship between them. Bella thought back to the day she met Spencer all those years ago.

_Bella jogged slowly across the wet campus trying to read the map in her hand while shielding herself from the pouring rain. Trying to find the lecture hall would have been next to impossible on a good day for Bella but while it was raining and her hands were full of maps and coffee it was impossible. With one hand on the map and another wrapped around a large thermos of coffee Bella wasn't really surprised when all of a sudden her small body slammed to halt when she ran into the body of the person in front of her. "Darn it, sorry I wasn't watching." Bella trailed off as she caught her first look at her person she had hit. He was tall not like almost tall but really tall a few inches over six feet. Then again everyone felt tall in comparison to Bella; she barely topped the scale at five feet two inches tall. But his height wasn't the only thing she noticed, fifteen year old Bella wasn't as boy crazy as her friends but even she knew that this guy with the most beautiful gray eyes was a hottie." HI sorry sir but um do you know where the Intro to Criminology lecture series is being held." Bella stammered up at the man who was looking at her with a curious look on his face._

"_Yes, but aren't you a little young to be taking that course I hear its quite difficult." The Man spoke waiting for Bella to answer. All the while he stood with his hands shoved deep in his pockets with his back slightly hunched. Bella recognized the way he was standing. As a person who spent every day trying not to be noticed she saw the behavior for what it was."Hey are you okay?" She asked. "Yeah it's just that I am leading that lecture in about twenty minutes and I am a bit nervous" Bella tilted her head to the side studying the man intently. Both stood string at each other completely forgetting about the pouring rain. " Well if you are educated enough to teach the course I think that taking to a bunch of high school kids and college freshmen shouldn't be too bad." Bella smiled and stuck out her hand " Hi Bella Swan High school kid and you must be ,"Bella paused and glanced at the map and syllabus in her hand "Dr. Spencer Reid from the FBI nice to meet you Sir." DR Reid looked from her hand to her face several times before he nodded and introduced himself." Please call me Spencer, Bella. Sorry but I don't shake hands it kind of a thing of mine." He mumbled hoping he hadn't offended the young girl. Bella laughed brightly "O that's fine Spencer I have a lot of "Things too" She smiled while saying and making quote with her fingers." So if you could point me in the right direction I should really find a restroom then head to class." Spencer smiled at the girl then taking a chance light place his large hands on her shoulders and spun her around so that the large college of Law building was right in her face. "It's right thru there on the third floor. Hope you enjoy the lecture Bella. See you in there and thanks for the pep talk." He smiled then ran up the stairs to enter the building. _

Bella smiled coming out of the memory fondly. After that class she and Spencer met up for coffee everyday on campus. They talked about everything and were surprised by the things they had in common despite the almost six year age difference between them. All summer long they built a friendship having coffee and talking on the phone. When the summer was over they promised to keep in touch and Bella let Spencer go back to work all without him knowing that she harbored a major crush on the quirky yet shy genius. The relationship between the two never faltered and they talked on the phone and emailed all the time. Bella considered Spencer one of her best friends practically family and he was always trying to get her to take a vacation and come hang out with him. The only thing that had stopped her was the fact that with his work for the FBI he was always busy and she also knew that it was much easier to hide her crush from him when didn't have to see his handsome face. Now that Bella was older her feeling for Spencer had changed somewhat. When she was younger her feelings for him had been all hearts and rainbows. She had pictured holding his hand and chaste kisses. Now however after having had a boyfriend her feeling had drifted to a less innocent vain. Bella wanted, she craved. At night while she slept she often did dream of Edward making love to her however just as often those amber eyes would change to gray and bronze hair would become brown. She imagined deep wet kisses and having Spencer pin her to the wall of his office which he had described to her once. Bella knew Spencer still saw her as a child as evidenced by the fact that when they talked about Edward he was always worried about what she was doing and when they would be back. His thoughts about her didn't change the way she felt about him however, it made her want him more. The fact that Spencer never knew that Bella spent her nights before Edward and some after Edward when he was out hunting with her hands buried in warm dark places bringing her-self to orgasm moaning his name was something she had no plans to tell him.

Bella visibly shook herself free of her thoughts and faced her mother. "Mom I can't stay her and I won't go with you. I am 18 years old. Legally I can do what I want and since I have less than three credits to finish school I think I will see if I can stay with Spencer for awhile. You know, just until I feel like I can be on my own." Bella rushed through that sentence her mind already racing ahead to the call she needed to make to Spencer and all the plans she needed to make. Renee stood there with her mouth hanging open watching as Bella began moving around the room muttering out loud and making plans. Renee had no idea how they would convince Charlie that having Bella stay with a grown man who wasn't a relative was going to work but she was secretly happy that she wouldn't have the job of keeping Bella. Not that Renee didn't love her daughter to pieces; she just didn't even know where to begin when it came to nursing her back from a broken heart. Bella had always taken care of herself and Renee saw no reason to change the way their relationship worked now. Renee left the room to find Charlie all the while trying to think of ways to get him to agree to Bella's plan. Even if legally she could go wherever she wanted Charlie could make her life very messy with his police and government contacts if he didn't want her to go.

Bella barely noticed as her mother left the room. For the first time since Edward had left she felt something other than pain. She felt a spark of a feeling that she had always tried to keep hidden, Bella felt anticipation. Now all she had to do was figure out how to make her plan a reality.

The day passed into night with Bella walking between her desk and phone and the fax machine downstairs. She made calls all day to the school board and to the bank and airline. She knew that between her savings account and her never spent pay checks from Newton's she had just shy o seven thousand dollars saved if she didn't touch her college fund. She also knew that she wanted to be able to pay her own way and take care of herself so she made detailed plans to lay out her scheme to Charlie and Spencer.

Charlie Swan watched all day as his daughter moved around the house with a pen clenched between her teeth and the phone attached to her ear. At first when Renee had come to him about Bella's idea he a refused outright. They had argued the pros and cons of what little of the plan they knew and Charlie just couldn't see it. But now almost twelve hours later as he watched his baby display more vitality and life than she had in a week he felt himself weaken. He would listen to her plans and if it made sense and everyone could agree on some ground rules he would not object. Charlie would do anything to keep his daughter from falling make into the dark place she had recently left. He had no clue what had happened between her and Edward but he did know that Spencer Reid was Bella's friend and if anyone could help her it would be him. Charlie thought about the fact that he would be sending his daughter t live with a grown man but dismissed that nagging thought quickly. Dr. Reid was a good man and had never shown any interest in Bella that was outside of friendship.

The next morning Bella met Charlie in the kitchen at five am with hot coffee and a detailed outline of her plan. He paused in the doorway of the kitchen and just stared. "Ok kid let me hear it." He said as he sat down next to Bella and started to drink from his cup. Bella lowered herself into the chair and began by telling her father that after speaking to the school board and her teachers she could take her finals early and graduate now versus at the end of the school year. Charlie knew that Bella had been biding her time at Forks High all of her courses either repeat of her Phoenix classes or courses with work that was several levels below what she had already taken.

Bella also told Charlie of her plans to take online college classes for the rest of the year and to find a job so she wasn't living off Spencer and her savings. For over an hour they talked back and forth asking questions and receiving answers until finally Charlie asked Bella the one question she had no answer for."Well what did Spencer say when you asked him Bella?" Bella paused to consider her answer very carefully. She knew that as horrible a liar as she was this would need to be her best performance ever. "He said it was fine dad, he was excited to see me and thought getting away from all the memories would be the best thing for me." Bella looked Charlie directly in the eye knowing that the police chief could smell a lie a mile away. It was only one of the things about Charlie that made her wonder if he secretly knew about the Cullens and just never said anything.

For some reason Charlie seemed satisfied with her answer and by the time Renee joined them that morning all of Bellas plans had been fleshed out. Now all she had to was convince Spencer that it was a good idea. Bella left her estranged parents sitting at the kitchen table talking as she went to her room to prepare to make the most difficult and hopefully rewarding telephone call of her life.


	2. Chapter 2 Friends

A/N: Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer and Criminal Minds belongs to CBS. The rest belongs to me…

_Meanwhile at BAU headquarters…._

Dr. Spencer Reid sat in the conference room waiting patiently for the final members of the team to arrive. Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Dave Rossi and J.J. Jareau where all present and accounted for. They were just waiting on Hotch and Garcia who should have been there already. Spencer drummed his fingers on the table in a mildly annoying cadence repeatedly until finally Derek turned and said roughly," What the hell pretty boy, why are you so nervous?" Reid immediately stopped drumming his fingers and sighed "I don't know Derek it's just that we haven't had a case in about a week and I am not used to this much down time." Derek laughed "Reid you need a hobby man. Get out there and do something, find a girl to take up that empty time." Reid stilled at the suggestion. He knew that the only girl he had an interest in was completely beyond his reach. Not only was she younger than him, she lived too far away and only saw him as a friend. Reid missed Bella everyday and their phone calls and texts where usually the highlight of his days. But now that Bella was with Edward any hope Spencer had of one day being with her was completely gone. Reid dropped his head and sighed," Yeah, maybe I guess that might work." He replied to Derek knowing in his heart that if he couldn't have Bella then it would be a long while before he felt anything for anyone else.

Just as Spencer felt himself slipping into a further depression about his lack of social life Garcia breezed into the room with an armload of files, Aaron Hotch Hotchner followed calmly in her wake." Alright people I have news. "He began speaking to the team. As Garcia smiled at everyone and began handing out the file folders." It would seem that government is trying to crack down on its spending and they are starting with us. All of us have at least a month of unused vacation and personal time on the books and we have been ordered to take it. By next week we are to have our case reports finished and all other cases assigned to other BAU teams, any questions?" Hotch looked around noticing that everyone was smiling at this completely unexpected mini break that they were being given. Everyone but Spencer who looked greatly disturbed by this new information he had just been given."Is this going to be a problem for you Spencer?" Hotch asked wondering what could possibly be bad about having a break from the horrors that they witnessed daily." No Hotch it's just that I have no idea what to do with that much time off, I just visited my mom in Vegas a few weekends ago and Bella…" Reid trailed off abruptly realizing that he had unintentionally opened a can of worms. He noticed that every one of his co workers was staring at him with puzzled looks passing between them. Emily sat quietly having an entire conversation with Garcia and J.J. that consisted of nothing more than raised eyebrows and widening eyes, finally after determining that no one had any clue she nodded at Morgan who began the much needed conversation." Hey Reid you been holding out on us man. Who is Bella pretty boy? We didn't know that you were seeing anyone new." Reid knew in that moment that the conversation that he was about to have was going to be wholly embarrassing for him. He turned his face upward as if the ceiling of the BAU could somehow answer these questions for him without making him look like a total ass.

Just as Reid was about to answer Garcia cut him off with a snort," Hey doc, you have a call going thru the main switch board. It got routed to me because you aren't answering your phone." Garcia giggled as Reid took his phone from his pocket seeing that it was on silent and he had missed several calls. "Okay Garcia just tell them to call my cell now or take a message, " Reid said wondering who it was without looking at the Display to see, Garcia listened to her Bluetooth for a moment then started to laugh. Looking up she saw she had the entire rooms attention and wondered if what she was about to do was a good thing or a very bad thing. 'UM Spence the person on the phone says she's not calling you back because you aren't answering the damn phone and she needs you right now." Garcia paused listening some more then continued. "I have been instructed to place the call on speaker so you can't run away."

Reid had no idea who could be calling him with that kind of message so after glancing around at his team and seeing that they had no idea who it was either he told Garcia" Put the call on Speaker please Garcia."

Garcia shrugged her shoulders with a drawn out "Okay here goes."

After a small burst of static a soft feminine voice filled the room."So….Sexy do you still sleep on the left side of the bed? And is your offer still good?" Reid's entire body froze at the sound of Bella's voice filling the room. At the same time his face turned a shade of red not many people ever get to see.

"Hey Angel, you are kinda on speakerphone with all of my team listening in." Reid said looking embarrassed as he saw everyone smiling in wonder at what they had just heard. After a moment of trying to get Garcia to take the phone off speaker and her laughingly refusing Reid commented on Bella's questions. "Angel why does it matter what side I sleep on anyway and what offer? What have you gotten yourself into now? I swear Angelface if you are in some kind of trouble I'm gonna…" Reid broke off as Bella's tinkling laugh filled the room." Chillax babe, I just need a favor. Hello everyone, sorry to interrupt your day like this." Bella said and the entire room broke out into smiles as they watched Reid react to the voice on the phone.

"Okay Bellisima what do you need?" Reid asked.

"I really need some one on one time with you babe. I was wondering if you would mind having a house guest for a while. I promise to stay out of the way and you won't even know that I am there. I will cook and clean and let you watch all the cartoons you want without laughing. I won't even try to look in the closets like last time. Please babe I need you, I need this. Things are pretty bad here right now and if I stay..."Reid cut Bella off with a sound that was a mixture of a snort and a chuckle." Slow down Angel; remember that everyone's listening so try not to embarrass me anymore please. And what about Charlie and Ed..." Now it was Bella's turn to cut him off with a small sigh. "Spence I need you to do this for me. I know you have work and I promise not to trash your place or reorganize the books or anything. I just have to get the hell outta here. Please...Spence Please…" Bella sounded so sad that before Reid could answer Hotch jumped in.  
Hello I'm Aaron Hotchner Reid's Boss. And you are?"

"Isabella Swan Sir. Reid talks about you guys all the time. Sorry to interrupt your meeting if you could just have Spence call me when you guys finish…" Reid stopped Bella from talking with a mumbled"When will you be here Bells? Do I need to get you from the airport? I'll just go ahead and buy your ticket now and we can talk when you get here, do you still have your key to my place?" Reid shut up quickly as he thought about all the information he was giving his team to tease him with. After thinking for a minute he realized he didn't care as long as this conversation led to Bella staying with him for a while. She didn't sound like herself on the phone and he wondered who was responsible for the sadness he heard in her voice.

Before he could ponder for too long Bella spoke again." Calm down Spencer. I got it all under control; all I needed was the green light. I will see tomorrow Spencer and don't you worry I will fill you in when I get there. Thanks guys, Bye." Before Reid could say anything else Bella was gone.

"But…but... damn it woman..." Reid shouted laughing then turned to face the million questions he knew he was about to be asked.

"Ok Dr. Reid who the Sam hell was that?" Rossi asked sharing a small laugh as he poured himself more water. He had a feeling that this conversation would take a while.

Reid blushed furiously then replied in a small voice that slowly gained confidence the longer he spoke." Oh, that's just an old friend from Phoenix. We've known each other for years." Reid hoped in vain that the little bit of information he had just given them would be enough.

"Come on Reid. Don't hold out on us man, what's the story with you two? Are you guys dating for just friends or is it more a friendly benefits type deal?" Derek asked while wagging his eyebrows.  
"Hey now don't talk about Bella that way. She's a good girl and we are just friends. Just let me wrap by head around the fact that she's coming and I will tell you all about friendship with Bella Swan." The team all laughed then listened for the next half hour while Reid filled them in on his friendship with the young woman they were all dying to meet.

End Notes...So what do you think? Should I keep going?


	3. Chapter 3 Time for a change

A/N: Twilight is the property of S. Meyer and Criminal Minds belongs to CBS. The rest of this plot is mine.

Thanks to all who read and reviewed. I am geeking out on your kind words. So without further ado I give you chapter 3.

Bella stood back looking at all the stacks of clothing that lay on her bed in her room in Forks. Ninety five percent of it was gifts from Alice Cullen. While Bella was normally a jeans T shirt and Chucks kind of girl even she could see that if she wanted to be taken seriously by Spence's co workers she needed to change her look. Fortunately the things that Alice had purchased went a long way into making Bella's normally laid back look into something more polished. Bella figured with the addition of a few pieces that she could have an edgy look that wouldn't seem so out of character for her. Bella gazed at herself in the mirror wondering what people thought about her looks. She herself thought she wasn't bad looking, not beautiful but certainly not ugly. As she sat looking she realized that after surrounding herself with vampires with their unbelievable and unattainable looks that it was enough to give any girl a complex.

As she looked at herself objectively she noticed for the first time the changes to her looks that had taken place over the past year. It seemed that Bella had finally left her awkward teen years behind her. Her face had lost most if not all the baby fat leaving behind smooth lines with high cheekbones. Her eyes although sad and lost looking was a warm choc lately brown that pulled people in. The pain there mixed with the innocence and subtle hint of something more scream mystery. Her long graceful neck ran into a petite and compact body. She wasn't overly curvy but there were more than enough curves to define her as curvy instead of the slim she had thought herself to be. Her once small average B cups had morphed without her really noticing into a full C cup that she finally figured out needed to be shown off a bit.

The only problem that Bella could see was her hair. Although thick and healthy the style which she was worn forever mad her seem far younger than she really was. Her hair was pulled back off her face parted in the middle and held back by a simple headband. The deep dark brown curls flowed like a river down her back but were physically heavy burden for her slight frame to carry. Bella contemplated her options. She knew that for Spencer to take her seriously she had to hit him with something major. He wasn't exactly good with the subtle hints she had previously thrown at him. So to make the impression she needed she was going to have to think bigger.

"Go big or go home." She stated out loud trying to pump herself up for what she was about to do.

Bella finished packing her bags leaving out only the outfit she planned to change into once she reached Spencer in Virginia. She knew that with her plans she could make her spa visit to have some much needed cutting and waxing done then hit the four and a half hour flight to Virginia and still make it to Spencer before he left the office for the day. With that thought in mind Bella began bringing her bags done stairs to say goodbye to Charlie.

Charlie watched his little girl bounce down the stairs with her suitcase and carryon. He was surprised that for the first time ever she didn't trip on the way down and there was a time on her face.

"You're leaving already Bells?"

"Yes dad. I have some last minute errand to run in Port Angeles before I get my flight out of Seattle. Angela had some running around to do today so she offered to take me so I won't have to worry about my truck. I will call you when I get there. Try not to worry dad I will be fine. Spencer will take care of me I promise." With that Charlie made his way to his daughter and wrapped her in his arms.

"When did my little girl go up? Seems to me that on minute you were in pigtails and now you are going off to find your future. I am so proud of you for doing the one thing I was never able to do." Bella leaned away from Charlie's hug so that he could see the confused look on her face.

"Sweetheart it took me years to let go of your mom and try to see that there was a life beyond what we shared. Now I don't regret a minute of the time I had with Renee because it brought me you, and you're my one precious thing." Charlie brushed Bella long hair away from her face and starred into the dark eyes that looked just like his own. He saw the devastating pain in them that mirrored a pain he still sometimes felt. But he also saw something else. Something that he took him years to gain, He saw a spark deep within his girl. A smoldering fire of determination not to let this heartbreak crush her, that look alone let Charlie know that no matter what happened next his little girl was going to be fine. Edward Cullen may have broken her heart but he damn sure as hell didn't break her spirit.

"He isn't worth it baby girl. All the pain and loss and anger you could feel for that boy…."Charlie huffed out a breath and continued," If he couldn't stay and fight for the right to love you then he isn't worth all of the time and pain that would go into mourning what might have been. Life is too short to spend your time worrying about what if's Bella Marie. Go out there and find out what is." Charlie finished is mini speech to his daughter realizing that that was the longest he had ever spoke to her since she had moved back home.

"Thank you Dad. I think I really needed to hear that. Maybe it's time we both stopped worrying about what might have been and figure out what is and what could be if we did something about it Good Bye dad. I'll call you." Bella kissed Charlie's cheek and walked out the front door where she saw Angela waiting patiently with the engine running.

For the first time in his life Charlie Swan watched his daughter walk out of his life and knew she would be alright. He also knew that at some point his little girl was going to come home again.


	4. Chapter 4 Hell in Heels

A/N: Twilight is the sole property of SM. Criminal Minds belongs to CBS. The rest of the plot belongs to me.

Big hugs and kisses to everyone who read and reviewed. All mistakes made are my own and I apologize for them. I suck at making corrections to my grammar. Sorry.

Chapter 4

Bella stood outside the BAU main offices after coming out of the bathroom. She had needed a quick moment to check her appearance and ground her-self before she saw Spencer for the first time in over a year. Her departure from Washington and her whirlwind shopping and spa trip were a blur so she wanted to make damn sure that everything was in place and ready for her to make her entrance.

If there was one thing that she had taken from her time with the Cullens it was that sometimes you just had to look the part whether or not it was real or not. With that thought in mind she made a change to her hair that was shocking to her. Her once long tresses were now only shoulder length with blunt ends cut into layers, she even had bangs now which her stylist said made her eyes pop. With the combination of her new makeup which had a slightly smoky eye and a sheer nude lip her face looked practically flawless. Her outfit for today had been well thought out as well. The last time Spencer saw her she was wearing ratty jeans and a huge t shirt. That wasn't the image she meant to leave him with but she was pretty sure that was the one that stayed with him. So instead Bella made the choice of black super skinny jeans with a over sized T shirt knotted tightly at the back. While the shirt didn't do much for her figure it should have been a blatant reminder to Spencer of times gone by for them. The shirt read"Stay Calm and Kill Zombies" and it used to be his shirt. She had "mistakenly" taken it on her last visit to him as a reminder since it still smelled like him at the time. Along with the shirt she had topped the outfit off with a white leather jacket that stopped just at her hips. The most important part of the outfit in Bella's mind however was her shoes. Bella did something she rarely did without prodding. She put on a pair of four inch high heeled knee boots. The entire outfit gave Bella a sense of confidence that she never had when Alice used to dress her. The outfit was edgy but not overly done. It still seemed like something she would wear but also hinted at a level of maturity that had been lacking in her wardrobe the last time Spencer saw her. Pulling her silver Gucci aviator sunglasses back up into her hair she turned to face the doors and take the first steps into her new life.

Spencer had been waiting for Bella all day. He wasn't even sure when she was coming really. After talking to her the previous day all he knew was that she hadn't used the ticket he had purchased and she wasn't answering the phone. He had been calling her off and on since last night but had gotten no answer. All he had received was one text message early that morning saying she was on her way. Now he just had to wait, which was something he had never been good at. He currently sat in his office filing and refilling the same paperwork. He wasn't even sure why he was so nervous. It wasn't like having Bella visit was a new thing or anything. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time in a long while when they talked she didn't sound happy and she hadn't mentioned Edward at all. Spencer had never had the pleasure of meeting Edward but whenever Bella called or emailed he was all she talked about. At first he thought that they were just a fling but it seemed that they got really serious practically overnight and Spencer had been worried about some of the signs of controlling behavior Bella had unknowingly mentioned during their talks. Listening to Bella fall for Edward had hurt a lot but he knew it was for the best. So he had dated a little too. Nothing too serious but he would be the first to admit to being a man with _needs_. However nothing beyond casual dates and a random hook up ever happened for him. Even while trying to have a life it always came back to the women not measuring up to Bella in his mind.

So Spencer had made himself a promise. He would be whatever Bella needed him to be. If she needed her buddy he would be that for her even if it meant burying all of the other feelings he had for her. He was aware that Bella only thought of him as a friend but he was willing to take what he could get. It was better to have her as a friend than as nothing at all.

Spencer was pulled from his thoughts about Bella by Morgan knocking on his open door frame.

"Hey Reid we are all heading out for a bite you wanna come with?" Morgan asked.

Spencer sighed heavily not having noticed that while he sat there thinking of Bella dinner time had come."Sure I could eat. Let's go." Spencer grabbed his brown leather jacket which had been a gift from Bella last year and followed Derek out the door practically running into his group of co workers and friends who were standing around waiting on him. As they made their way toward the door talking and laughing Garcia who was leading the group came to an abrupt halt causing everyone else to pull up short to avoid a collision.

"What the… you ok Baby Girl?" Morgan asked as everyone tried to figure out what had happened.

Garcia laughed and turned to Reid pointing "Hey Doctor I think you're visitor has arrived." Almost in unison all eyes followed the direction Garcia was pointing to the end of the hall.

Standing at the end of the hall at the front reception desk talking to an assistant stood Bella who having heard the commotion had turned to see what was coming down the hall.

Spencer stared taking in the first sight of his friend that he had seen in more than a year. "Holy Shit…" He whispered to himself quietly. Not quietly enough however because Derek hear him and immediately began to chuckle under his breath. "Is that Bella?" He asked Spencer.

"Yeah that's her." He breathed out almost as a whisper as he started down the hallway not caring that his reunion was about to be witnessed by all of the team who were unabashedly watching to see what happened next.

Reid stopped walking when he was within touching distance of her and waited. She had watched him come to her without saying a word with a look in her eyes that he didn't quite understand. The whole time he waited for her to speak he took in her beauty and tried to check her out without her noticing. His little Bella was all grown up it seemed. Gone was the awkwardness of her teen self and in its place stood a stunning young woman.

Spencer was almost caught off guard when Bella dropped her purse and launched herself into his arms. She never said a word just held onto him in the way he had always dreamed she would. She had pressed her entire body into his and he could feel every curve he had ever longed to. Slowly so his pulling away wouldn't feel like rejection but so he could see her face he drew back and looked into his favorite brown eyes." Hey Swan." He said softly while bushing a strand of hair off her face and brushing a thumb across her cheek.

Bella's eyes sparkled and filled with tears "Hey there Doc." She said smiling. They stood there just looking at each other smiling and laughing without saying a word.

At the other end of the hall Reid's team watched the reunion in shock and awe. Never had they seen the doctor be so full of life while being so tender to anyone. Not even his friendship with JJ which everyone had assumed was a crush filled one on his part had ever seen him so gentle and almost loving.

"They're just friends…?" Aaron Hotchner asked leadingly.

""According to Reid they are." Morgan answered laughing.

"No way, he is totally into her." Said Emily

"Ok enough is enough I want to meet and talk to the woman who can make Reid act like that." Penelope said to everyone once again leading the group down the hall. They all followed eagerly wanting to meet this mystery woman.

Bella and Spencer where still talking quietly catching up with each other. Reid had totally forgotten that his team was even there and Bella was in no hurry to remind him.

"Hey Spencer, you want to introduce us to this young lady for not?" Dave said with a smile at the pair.

Reid looked up for the first time since leaving his friends. His blush could be seen easily as it appeared on his neck face and ears.

Bella smiled at the sight of Spencer blushing. It was nice

That it wasn't her for a change she thought. Turning slightly while moving even closer to Reid in a subtle move that only the women even noticed she stuck out her hand and smiled." It's a pleasure to meet you Agent Rossi sir. I'm Isabella Swan." Turning even more she then proceeded to introduce herself to each member of the team by name smiling even more at the shocked looks on their faces. When she got to Derek she stopped. Reid had frequently told her about Derek Morgan and how although they were great friends Derek often teased Reid about his youth and lack of prowess with the ladies. Bella thought it was a fine time to get a little payback on her friend's behalf. She slowly checked Derek out. Starting at his feet and working her way up in what could have been the most suggestive and blatant eye fuck ever given to Derek. "And you have got to be Derek Morgan, Spencer speaks of you often." She said lowly. Spencer watched Bella in shock. He had never really seen her flirt before and to watch her do it with Morgan was in equal parts curious and gut wrenching. The only thing stopping him from grabbing her and running her out of there before she could fall into the 'Derek Morgan Trap' was the subtle look of mischief that only he would notice in her eyes. He waited to see exactly what his Swan had up her sleeve.

"Hmmmm…the group picture of you that Spencer has doesn't do you justice at all. You are all kinds of hotness aren't you?" Bella said laughing. She then turned to Spencer completely ignoring what would have been Derek's response. "Babe you really need a new picture of these guys. The one in your bedroom is at least two years old." She said smiling at Spencer while he realized that she had not only stopped Derek in his tracks by flirting then not bothering to let him respond she had also made it clear to Derek and his team that she had been in his bedroom. Now he knew that he could finish this one of two ways. He could let it go and have the team wondering if they wre just friends or he could push a little and see how Bella responded to the idea that the team would think that they were more. After a brief pause he decided to go for it. Wrapping a smooth arm around her waist he said just loud enough for everyone to hear "There's a newer one on your side of the bed Swan. Remember you knocked it over last time you stayed." He said then finally noticed the shirt she was wearing." I have been looking everywhere for my shirt Angel. When did you…" He broke off looking at his team who all wore faces with varying degrees of shock. It was clear that they all thought that there was something more to the relationship they Were watching. Bella smiled at Spencer having realized what he was doing. She decided to finish it off so they could move on with the evening. She was hungry and more than ready to eat then head back to Spencer's place.

"Well if you hadn't torn mine I would have left yours alone Spence. I told you to be gentle but no… you gotta go all caveman on my ass so here we are." She said laughing up at him. He smirked at her thinking that his team probably thought the conversation was about a sexual encounter when in reality it was about a botched looking lesson and exploding spaghetti sauce.

Derek was the first to regain the ability to speak after having learned all of these things about a side of the Doctor he didn't know even existed. He really wanted to know more about Reid and he also wanted a chance to get Bella back for teasing him.

"So Isabella were just headed out for some dinner would you care to join us? Maybe you could fill us in on our favorite Doctor while we dine. It seems that we don't know him as well as we thought we did." Derek said with a smile.

"Sure I would love to, But only if you guys don't mind on more?" She responded with looks to the other team members.

After everyone welcomed her along and they agreed to hit a bar and grill not too far away they ladies somehow managed to snag Bella on the way out the door leaving Spencer standing with the guys just watching.

"So Bella…tell us all about you and Spencer? " JJ said as they all entered the elevator leaving the guys behind.

Spencer turned to his male friends with a small whimper "This is going to suck isn't it?" He asked and they all nodded once then made their way to the elevator to follow the ladies. Reid was smiling as the doors closed because although the gossip the team would get was going to make him seem like and even bigger geek to them, it didn't matter because Bella was finally there with him.


	5. Chapter 5 The Meeting

Twilight and all its characters belongs to SM. Criminal Minds belongs to CBS and everything else belongs to me.

A/N: Okay sorry about the wait between chapters but real life just wouldn't give me a break last week. Big hugs and kisses to everyone who read and reviewed. All mistakes are my own and I am sorry about them. So without further ado I give you chapter 5.

SPOV

Reid sat watching Bella interact with all his friends and co workers. He wasn't sure if this moment was a dream come true or a nightmare he couldn't wake from. He had always wanted Bella to be a part of his life beyond the weekends they spent holed up in his apartment and hours on the phone. But seeing it in reality was so very different than he thought it would be. She seemed to fit seamlessly with everyone, laughing with Penelope and chatting with Morgan. The only problem he could see was if by being around his coworkers she finally saw the truth about him and never wanted to hang out again.

Reid was pulled from his musings by Derek's voice asking Bella the question Reid had been dreading since the moment she arrived.

"So Bella what's Reid like when he's not working a case?"

Reid waited for Bella to answer both dreading her answer and also eager to see how she described him to his friends,

Bella paused looking like she was deep in thought then answered."Well I don't know what he's like with you guys but when we are together he is a blast. I mean we seat around and read or play chess or if he just wants to chill he will play the…."  
Reid jumped in hoping that his cutting Bella off wouldn't be noticed."You want something to eat Angel?"

Bella tilted her head in Reid's direction studying his face then after a moment she answered." No Spence I'm fine. What I do want to know is why I am getting the impression that these people don't know you at all?" She finished and glanced around the table then back at him.

Reid shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had been aware that if Bella met everyone that some of his closely guarded secrets could come out but he had been hoping to get a chance to slowly build up to having this part of his life opened up. He should have known better really.

Reid noticed all of his friends sharing confused looks. Finally when it became clear that no one knew what Bella was talking about J.J. decided to voice what they were all thinking."Spencer what don't we know? I mean we are all pretty close I thought. Why is Bella making it sound like you have this whole other life or something?"

Reid threw Bella a look full of panic. He wasn't ready to make any sort of revelations about himself but as he thought about it he saw a way to play it to his advantage and get something from Bella that he had been dying for. One of the few things she would only rarely do for him and never in public. With all these thoughts swimming in his sometimes overly filled head Spencer smiled a smile that was more a smirk and unlike any look that the team had ever seen. Bella however was very familiar with that expression on his face and knew that she had just woken a part of Reid that few saw and rarely met the light of day.

Derek watched the expressions crossing Reid and Bella's faces. If anyone had asked him before this conversation he would have sworn be knew just about everything there was to know about Doctor Spencer Reid. But with one look at the expression on his face Derek realized that not only didn't he know this side of Reid but maybe only one person in the world did and she was sitting across the table from him with a slightly flushed face that looked in equal parts wary and excited.

Derek was pulled back into the conversation when Spencer answered. His voice sounded in a way the group had never heard before. It was fascinating. He sounded in control and completely sure of himself, it was almost like the voice he used when giving them all more information on a topic than they would ever need.

"Well hell Bells if you are gonna throw me under the bus I plan on taking you with me. Are you sure you want to play this game with me little girl?

BPOV

Bella laughed internally. She had known that bringing up Reid's secret life was a gamble but it also gave her a chance to show him how much she had grown and changed. She couldn't deny the fact that she was terribly shy but she also knew that with this one task she could prove to him how grown up see was and at the same time shatter the girl next door little sister mold that he insisted that she live in.

"Sure Spence you know me, I'm always up for a game."She said with a challenging look in her eyes. She could only imagine what was going through his mind and for one brief second she wondered if this is what Edward felt like when he couldn't read her mind. Shaking the thought of him from her mind she waited to see what Reid's next move would be.

Spencer turned to his friends and proceeded to throw down the gauntlet. "You see what Bella is talking about is the fact that I happen to play a few instruments when I am at home. I'm not that great at it but it is something that I enjoy."  
Reid said then turned back to Bella." I think that she might enjoy hearing me play but only if she does something for me in return…." Reid said waiting for Bella to pick up his challenge. He knew that she was aware of what he wanted by the look on her face. He watched as the confident look slid off her face to be replaced by a moment of sheer panic followed by grim determination. He almost caved during his moment of weakness but thought that seeing Bella be truly herself outweighed any and all misgivings he had about what he was about to ask for.

The team watched the conversation going back and forth between the two. It was almost like a tennis match between them and as much as they might have wanted to they simply couldn't look away.

"Ok Reid well I want to see you play so what does Bella have to do to make that happen?" Penelope asked cutting into the conversation. She then turned to Bella and asked."Do you know what he wants you to do?

Bella smiled then answered.

"I think so but he's gonna have to say the words."Bella said softly looking up at Reid from under her lashes. She was unaware of just how sultry her voice sounded in that moment. It was making the men at the table decidedly uncomfortable and they all shifted subtly in there seat while the women all except Bella noticed and smiled."Ask me Reid."She said again in a low voice brimming with unspoken promises.

Reid swallowed nervously then after giving himself a mental pep -talk he looked directly into her eyes and said the one thing Bella both feared and longed for.

"Sing for me Angel."

End Notes: Hey I never do this but I have to stop it here otherwise the chapter would have been way too long. Sorry about the cliffhanger, don't worry I will be posting chapter six sometime today as well. So…. How do we like a more confident Reid?


	6. Chapter 6 The Swan

Twilight is the property of SM. Criminal Minds is the property of CBS. The rest of this belongs to me.

A/N: All mistakes are mine and I once again apologize for them. I really suck at all things grammatical. So are we ready for Bella to sing for Reid. I about died writing this one and I knew what was going to happen. See you at the bottom.

Chapter 6

The ladies of the BAU all froze waiting, hardly breathing for Bella's answer. Never had they heard Reid sound so confident and dare they say it sexy. They all wondered what the hell Bella Swan was doing to their mild mannered doctor. It was Emily who had the stray thought that maybe their Reid and Bella's Reid were just two entirely different men.

Now the guys were all impressed by Spencer's bravado. He rarely put himself out like he was doing and they applauded his efforts. However they were wondering what Bella was going to say.

"Well Bella, you want to hear me play then I want to hear you sing. It's been awhile. I think the last time was almost a year and a half ago and you were in the shower." Reid said laughing knowing that the team was going to take that statement all kinds of wrong. But he didn't care; if he could get Bella to sing then he would consider the night a total success.

Bella looked around the bar then asked him." What… here...now?"

"Yes Bella right here, and right now. They have karaoke here tonight so they have a stage all set up. Come on Swan sing for your supper. They even have a small keyboard over there so I will play first unless you want me to play with you?" Reid said fully aware of how that sentence could be taken multiple ways. He wasn't sure what had come over him by flirting with Bella this way but he liked it. Maybe it was the fact that his team was there and when he was with them working he had to be more forceful and less introverted. Whatever it was had carried over to this time spent with Bella and he wasn't going to waste this unexpected burst of confidence. Turning to Bella while standing he offered her his hand. "Shall we Miss Swan?" He asked with a small smile on his face.

Bella looked up into Reid's eyes and thought about what taking his hand would mean. On the one hand it would be the first time she sang in public and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. On the other hand singing for Reid right here and now would be a great step forward. She had never sung for Edward fearing that with all his families' supernatural talents that her voice just wouldn't measure up. Thinking about it now Bella saw that in their world she never stood a chance. Everything about them was enhanced to the point where even human greatness paled in comparison to a vampire's adequateness. She never would have measured up simply because they were playing on a whole different level and even a different field. For all she knew the Cullen's weren't that great as vampires. They just stood out that way when compared to humans. With this thought Bella let even more of her pain and insecurity go. She was starting to see that a life spent around the Cullens had played hell on her mentally and it was more than past time to let the angst go.

"Okay Spencer I'll sing for you guys tonight." She said walking toward the stage. Spencer noticed the sway of her hips that he would have sworn had never been there before. He would have been incorrect however. It was just the first time Bella felt sure enough about who she was to let that part of herself out in public with him. She threw a look over her shoulder at him "By the way Doctor Reid if I want you to play with me I will be sure to let you know." She said with a smirk as she climbed on the stage to talk to the guy manning the karaoke machine.

The team laughed at the shocked look on Reid's face. It seemed to him that maybe just maybe Bella was ok with him flirting with her and she might be willing to change the nature of their relationship. He smiled and joined Bella on the stage.

After an argument with the karaoke guy and a small bribe from Reid they were ready to start. The team all watched as Spencer sat at the piano looking out over the bar with a blush on his face."Ok... um… I guess that since I started this by picking on my friend that I will go first. So Bella this is for you babe." He said then started to play. The team watched in awe as Spencer's fingers flew over the keys. There was a look of joy on his face that they had never seen before. He played with his eyes closed looking lost in the music. They listened as he went from classical Bach that slowly became a more upbeat Elton John then finally a sensual urban John legend. They were not surprised by the range of music he had chosen to play they all knew of his broad range of musical taste. They couldn't wait to see what Bella would sing after hearing Reid. They knew that whatever it was would just give them one more clue into the dynamic of Reid and Bella's relationship.

Spencer sat at the piano after playing. He hadn't looked at Bella since he finished not wanting to know what she thought. He felt a little jittery and faint. It wasn't often that he put himself on display like he had and he wasn't sure what her reaction would be. He found out quickly when he felt her small body slam into him almost knocking him off the chair."Oh my God Spencer that was fan-freaking-tastic." Bella yelled at him while hugging him and laughing loudly. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and laughed. "Hey watch it Swan you don't want to injure yourself. You aren't getting out of singing that easily." Reid said then stood to walk off the stage. Before he left he grabbed the microphone and said."Ladies and gentlemen now for a real treat Miss Isabella Swan." With that he hopped of the stage and rejoined his group of friends wanting to have the best view of Bella's debut performance.

The team all watched as Bella blushed then slowly nodded to the karaoke guy then wrapped her hands around the mic and began to sway her hips in a slow sultry fashion. She looked at Reid with a small smile then opened her mouth to sing.

"You had plenty of money in 1922...you let other women make a fool of you…why don't you do right like some other men do." Bella sang out in a low crooning voice. Reid felt stunned by what he was witnessing. When he had challenged Bella to sing he had thought that she would do some pop number. That was the only music he had heard her sing before. But this song sung by her was on a whole different level. This wasn't some young girl's anthem. This was a woman's song, a song about being done wrong by a man. The song Bella was crooning out on that stage could only be sung by a woman who knew pain and heartbreak. In that moment all of Reid's doubts fell away. He wasn't sure what had happened between Bella and Edward and he didn't really care. If Bella was mature enough to stand on that stage and pour out her heart in a song she was mature enough for him to attempt to date her. Their age gap had only seemed like a small problem anyway to him and right now in that moment it was clear to Reid that whatever else Bella was she was a grown woman. Beyond that she was a woman who was ready for an adult relationship which she obviously hadn't had with Edward.

Reid put his attention back on his friends watching their reactions to Bella on stage. The woman all looked impressed by her with only a little envy showing in J.J.'s eyes. He wondered what she had to envy Bella about but decided not to press the issue. He knew that for a long time he had had more than platonic feelings for her but that they were never returned. He also knew that the feelings he had for her stopped right around the time he started having more than friendly feelings for Bella. Reid was jerked from his thoughts by Aaron Hotchner poking him in the side then leaning into him to talk.

"Reid where the hell have you been hiding her? She is amazing." He said all the while trying to pay attention to both Reid's answer and Bella on stage. Finally he gave up and returned his attention back to Bella without waiting for Reid's answer.

Reid chuckled at his bosses' response to Bella. He was used to men fawning over her and it was funny to see it happen with his co workers. He knew that none of them were interested in her that way. But he couldn't stop the feeling of pride that welled in him as he watched them watching his friend.

"I know." He muttered only to be cut off when Bella glided off the stage still crooning into the microphone. Reid's eyes widened as he realized she was headed right for him. He wasn't even sure what to do when she proceeded to sit gently on his lap playing with his collar still singing about 'Why don't you do right' into the mic. As she finished the song she pulled him impossibly closer by his collar and let the last word of the song hit him like a caress across his face. Reid was sure he had stopped breathing the moment she sat in his lap and he didn't start again until he realized that Bella was getting a standing ovation from the bar patrons. Her flushed face was right there less than an inch from his and all it would take would be a slight movement on his part to bring their lips together. He stared into Bella's eyes for a second ignoring everything that was happening around them and made a split second decision. He wouldn't let their first kiss be in a bar surrounded by people. He needed answers from her and he was going to get them.

Grabbing Bella by the hand he stood up and turned to his co workers who had all stopped talking and clapping upon seeing him stand so quickly.

"Sorry guys but we have to go. See you in a few weeks. Call me maybe we can do lunch or something." With that Spencer proceeded to grab Bella's wrist and make his way out of the bar practically dragging Bella behind him." Come on Angel I think we are long overdue for a little talk." He said as he pushed open the door into the cool night air. Bella's laugh could still be heard by the people in the bar as the doors closed behind them.

End Notes: So…. Bella sang and Reid had a moment of clarity. Next up is the long awaited talk and maybe a brief check in with the Cullens. Let me know what you think please. New chapter will be up as soon as possible.


	7. Chapter 7 See what had happened Was

Twillight is the property of SM. Criminal Minds Belongs to CBS. The rest is mine.

A/N: Sorry about the delay, between new jobs, a crashed computer and a death in the family I barely got this out. Sorry I couldn't respond to your lovely reviews but I did read them all and they were greatly appreciated. So without further ado I give you... chapter 7

Not for the first time Bella wondered what in the blue Hell she was doing sitting on Spencer's sofa less than two weeks after Edward's departure. Her heart still throbbed when she thought of him. Not just him but his family too, they had become her own in a way. As different from her as they were she felt connected to them all even vain as hell Rosalie.

Now all those nights of tears and heartbreak later here she sat trying in vain to figure out exactly what the hell she was supposed to tell Spencer. She knew from the moment he drug her out of the bar that he was going to want answers but she really thought that maybe she would have more time to explain the clusterfuck that was her life lately.

Really she mused to herself all the while watching the doorway that lead to the kitchen where Spencer was making them tea. He had only said a little since they got here. One being "Have a seat." And two being" You know I need answers Angel". Well Bella was more than ready to give them if only she knew what to say. Well how about my vampire ex boyfriends fake brother tried to eat me then he wigged out on me and left me in the woods after breaking my heart by claiming he never loved me in the first place. Bella scoffed to herself. Of course she knew Edward had lied to her when he said that he didn't love her. It hadn't taken her long to figure that out. No one with a secret that huge would risk all that he had for someone that they didn't love completely. She finally understood that in his own warped way his leaving was in his mind for her own good and while she understood his reasons it also made it clear to her that their relationship would have ultimately failed because he would never see as a equal partner who he didn't need to make decisions for and also Bella wanted someone to love her enough to fight for their love. As much as she loved all the classics with their self sacrificing love and leaving to show that you love enough to let go what she wanted was someone who loved enough to say "fuck that" and hold on to love with both hands.

Now because her life had somehow become an angst filled teen drama she the girl who couldn't lie her way out of a paper bag had to figure out how to lie to a man trained by the damn government to see the truth of things..

"Just Great…" She breathed while letting her head fall back with a thud to hit the sofa behind her.

Spencer stood staring mindlessly at the boiling water in front of him. He wasn't really aware of how long he had been standing there literally watching the water boil but he did know that his time was up. It was time to go comfort his friend and find out what the heck was going on with her. He knew that something had happened with Edward and he knew it had to be bad or she wouldn't be there with him. He knew that their relationship was on a edge that he had never dreamed was coming. It was his all or nothing moment. After this they could stay friends or finally have a shot at being more than that. All he had to do was put the tea-cup he was holding down on the tray and walk back into the living room. Too bad his hands were shaking so bad that he was afraid that if he moved he would pass out.

Taking in a deep breath of cleansing air he gathered all his mental fortitude and made his way into the living room where he hoped his future waited.

"Bella here's your tea." He said as he watched her lift her head from the sofa. Her motions were slow and painful looking almost like she was dreading this conversation. That look alone made him wonder if maybe he was wrong about everything. Maybe something completely different was going on with her and she just needed her friend. Resigned to putting his feelings on the back burner again her sat down gingerly next to the girl and whispered," talk to me sweetheart. Tell me what's wrong."

Bella looked up at him with red teary eyes and said "have you ever wondered what would have happened if I had stayed in Arizona? I have thought about that constantly for a while now. And I truly think that moving to forks was the worst thing I could have done." She said then let her head lowered to his shoulder and began to weep silently.

Spencer had no idea what to say. For all the scenarios he had imagined nothing like this was even close. As much as he knew Bella hated the weather and lack of things to do in Forks he never once thought she hated it. He brushed her hair off her shoulder and asked his only question." Why?"

Bella tensed next to him then decided that she would give him as much of the truth as she could and pray that it was enough.

"Can you just listen and not ask questions Spencer. You know I can't lie to you but some things are just not mine to tell. If you can trust me and let me give you what I can of this then I can tell you what happened. Then afterwards if you want we can deal with the rest of it." She finished speaking then looked into his eyes waiting for his answer.

Spencer thought long and hard about what she said. If he was hearing her right then Bella was about to tell him her story with significant pieces missing. He had to weigh his need to know what happened with his need to know everything. Spencer took a deep breath then said the words that unknowingly sealed their fate. "I trust you babe. Tell me what you can."

Alice Cullen sat high up in the tree tops in Denali National Park in Alaska. With her husband Jasper calmly sitting in the tree next to her, waiting out her vision. Three branches below her Emmett Cullen sat waiting as well . His shoulders were hunched in on himself and his grief was evident for any who cared to look. Luckily they were miles from any human and jasper had grown used to the family's despair. With Edward having taken a runner and heading to Brazil he was once again able to manage the intense grief they were all feeling at the loss of their "little Sister".

Alice slowly came out of her vision and spoke for the first time in days. They had been sitting in the tree with her for over a week slowly succumbing to hunger but unwilling to leave her until they knew what was happening to Bella.

"That Idiot!" she cried then hopped out of the tree and fell more than a hundred feet only to begin pacing back and forth almost faster than they could see.

"He damn near broke her Jazz. All he had to do was tell her the truth and leave her but no his dumb ass hurt her. Now everything is all screwed up. It's going to take months for them to mange it now… And it's so complicated. Bella doubts everything she knows to be true and Spencer…Jesus Jazz remind me to kill Edward as soon as we bring him home."

Jasper and Emmet slowly made their way down the trees approaching the small but angry vampire warily.

"Ali what are you going on about… You said Bella would be ok with this Spencer guy if she could just see what could be between them. What's wrong now?" Jasper asked still feeling all the guilt for trying to kill Bella.

"Jazzy as soon as I had that vision of Edward finding his mate in Rio I knew that I must have missed something. I mean I always saw Bella with us you know? It never dawned on me that every time I saw her she was with all of us never just Edward. Even that vision of him chasing her in the woods we were all right behind them. So I've been thinking what if he was just meant to bring her to us, not "be" with her? I've always wondered about Edward being celibate for all this time and now with his mate being a guy…." Alice stopped quickly when both Emmet and jasper looked at her with faces full of disbelief. "Ed's mate is a dude? Are you sure? Emmett asked laughing softly.

Alice joined him laughing as they ran back to the house to tell the others about her vision." Yep, he sure is." She began running backwards then continued on with her theory about Bella. "So I was thinking what if Bella wasn't meant for Edhead. Maybe she was just meant to be a Cullen. And I don't think she was meant to be the only new addition." She said mysteriously then walked into the family house calling for the others as Jasper and Emmett shared a look the in unison yelled

"What!"

So… what are you guys thinking now? Ready to see where this train wreck is going to take us? Can't wait for your thoughts, love to know how you all feel about Edward's mate being a guy. I personally love Edward but for this story it just works if his mate is a gut. I promise it will all make sense soon. See you guys later.


	8. Chapter 8 Thoughts

Twilight isn't mine and neither is Criminal Minds. This plot however is.

A/N All mistakes are my own and I am sorry you had to see them.

Sorry for the delay with posting my muse is mad at me and not cooperating at all.

Chapter 8

Spencer sat staring at Bella while she slept. They had talked for hours then when he saw that she was just about talked out he put her to bed after insisting she take a hot shower. Now Spencer could only sit and stare at the beautiful woman sleeping in one of his shirts surrounded by his sheets. He had always dreamed of having Bella with him in bed in a non platonic way but now his head was bursting with all the information that he had received from her. He knew that she had left a lot of details out of her story and he knew that some parts had been blatant fabrications on her part. After all it was a part of his job to know when he wasn't being told the truth. He believed that Bella had told him as much as she could about the situation with the Cullens and how they had left her.

His rage at their casual dismissal of his friend was tempered by Bella's explanation that they did it for her safety. His first response had been to want to hunt them down and hurt them for making his girl hurt but after listening to Bella's explanation of what she believed to be Edward's untold reasons for leaving all Spencer could do was chuckle a bit.

Edward Cullen may have loved his Bella but in Spencer's mind there was no doubt that Edward hadn't been 'in love' with her. No one who loved Bella with everything they had could try to destroy her, the way Edward had. No one who loved her would try to break her spirit the way Edward had. It may have seemed right to make a clean break the way he tried to but to be as cowardly as to hurt the person he loved to get away was just sick in Spencer's mind. All it had done was made Bella doubt her-self and everything they had together. If Bella hadn't been smart enough to see through it she might have spiraled into all sorts of self hating destructive behaviors. Spencer could only thank a higher power that Bella had seen her way through it and come to him for support.

Spencer stretched out on the bed next to Bella as the sun began to rise. Now he had a serious decision to make. He could pursue Bella knowing that her wounds from Jerkward were still bleeding and fresh or he could willingly put himself back into the friend zone and help her heal and maybe miss a chance at being more to her. As he sat thinking about the ramifications of both options Spencer realized that he was doing what Edward was famous for. He was trying to make a decision about his relationship with Bella without asking for her input. No matter which way they decided to go all Spencer knew for sure was that it had to be an equal partnership between them.

Gathering Bella in his arms as he began to drift into sleep he made her a promise that he was unaware that she heard

"No matter what happens now Angel, we will get through this together." After brushing a soft kiss on the top of her head he finally let sleep claim him.

Bella wasn't sure what had made her wake up. Maybe it was the unfamiliar feeling of warmth that surrounded her when she had become used to chilling cold or maybe it was Spencer's familiar scent that made her wake up, but whatever it was she woke up just in time to hear Spencer's promise to her. In all the time she had been with Edward he had made plenty of promises to her and with his leaving he broke the most important one. So as Bella lay in Spencer's arms she made a promise to herself. She wouldn't let her feelings for Spencer cloud her judgment to the point where she was risking her safety and sanity anymore. She also promised to be as pen with her feeling and needs as she could be. She understood that a lot of her problems with Edward came from things unspoken and misunderstandings. She knew how she wanted things to go with Reid and she would do what she could in a healthy way to make whatever came next between them work.

Bella feel back asleep with a small smile on her face and a gleam of hope in her heart not realizing that the decision she had made was not a solitary one and was about to spark the catalyst for a great many changes in her life.


End file.
